PGCE Secondary 2023

Welcome to the course

PGCE students enjoying their studies

Welcome to the PGCE Secondary course at the Department of Education, Kingston University. We hope that you will enjoy your year with us and find it stimulating and rewarding. This page provides you with a checklist of things you need to do before the start of the course.

The PGCE course consists of a challenging combination of modules designed to stimulate your thinking and develop your knowledge of the secondary curriculum. It will prepare you to teach your own subject specialism(s) as well as considering how overarching themes, such as creativity, critical thinking, identity and cultural diversity are necessary components of a pupil's experiences at school. Specifically, you will develop your understanding of how teachers encourage their pupils to be successful learners and confident individuals who can make positive contributions to the school and wider communities.

The course is challenging, combining taught components with experience in school and wider educational contexts. In addition, there will be many opportunities to work collaboratively with your peers, tutors and teachers to help you meet the demands of post-graduate study leading to the award of Qualified Teacher Status. You will work with your peers within your own subject specialism(s) and also across the curriculum with colleagues from other secondary subjects. Working in this way reflects the high priority given in the teaching profession to working in a team with colleagues.

The masters level modules will support your ongoing professional development beyond the course and into your career as a teacher.

There are further opportunities to develop your areas of interest through personal research and seminar discussions supported by reflections on school experience. This work, together with visits and a course programme enriched with input from school colleagues and your tutors, will enable you to extend your skills and your knowledge of innovative approaches to teaching and learning.

This introductory material provides you with important information and also outlines some required activities, to be undertaken before you commence the course in September. This will start to prepare you for what will be a demanding but exciting year, in which it will be essential that you carefully organise your time in order to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Your tutors are looking forward to meeting with you on what is a challenging but rewarding course.

In the meantime, if there is anything further you wish to know or have clarified, please get in touch.

James Wright
PGCE Secondary Lead

Course checklist

 ActionWhen
1 Complete and submit your Occupational Health questionnaire Within two days of receiving HML email
2 Complete online DBS application and take original documents to Post Office for verification As soon as you receive the online DBS activation email from First Advantage Online Disclosures.
3 Sign up to the Update Service and submit completed form Within 19 days of your DBS certificate issue date
4 Obtain a Certificate of Good Conduct if you have spent time living overseas for more than 3 months in the last 5 years. Submit as soon as possible.
5 Upload outstanding qualification certificates to OSIS in order to meet offer conditions. As soon as possible.
6 Preparatory reading and complete pre-course tasks. May to September 2023
7 Complete the School Experience Placements form Within five days of receiving the pre-course website link.
8 Read and submit completed Placement Policy Form Submit completed form by 23 June 2023.

Term dates

TermTerm datesReading Week
Term 1 4 September 2023 to 22 December 2023 TBC
Term 2 8 January 2024 to 28 March 2024 TBC
Term 3 15 April 2024 to 21 June 2024 TBC

These are provisional dates and may be subject to change.

You may find that your school half-term does not fall in the same week as the reading week, particularly in October. If this is the case, you will be expected to go into school during the reading week.

Please also note that although the course finishes on Friday 21 June 2024, you are advised not to book any holidays for a further two weeks in case you have to make up any missed days at school.

Induction and enrolment

Monday 4 September 2023

This programme may be subject to change.

Induction on 4 September will be on the Kingston Hill campus. The schedule for the rest of the induction week (5–8 September) will be shared with you on your first day.

TimeActivity
09:30 Welcome to teacher education: What is learning and teaching?
13:30–14:30 Welcome to Kingston University and the teaching profession
14:30–16:00 Team challenge

You will need to bring to the campus, on a date to be confirmed later:

  • Original qualification certificates
  • DBS certificate to the DBS check session.

Enrolment

Enrolment will take place at the University during your induction period and the exact date, time and details of your enrolment session will be confirmed at a later date. Please make sure that you read the information carefully and bring the necessary documents.

Car parking for campus sessions

If you are arriving by car, please park in Car Park D where there will be signs directing you to the relevant room. 

Parking restrictions are in place on site during term-time. You must obtain a temporary parking pass from Reception during the first week of term. You will be able to apply for a permanent Kingston Hill pass once you have enrolled.

Please note: car park G outside the Education Building is for staff and visitors only between the hours of 8.30am and 4.30pm. 

Bus

The 85 and K3 buses stop outside the Kingston Hill campus. The free Kingston University buses stop on the campus itself. 

Registered name

When you enrol, you should ensure that your name on our student record system is the same as your passport/photo card driving licence. Your details are sent direct from the University record system to the DfE following enrolment for allocation of your Teacher Registration Number (TRN). 

School Experience Placements

Please complete these forms for your School Experience placements:

Reading lists and tasks

You will be able to download the pre-course reading list and tasks for your subject, as listed below.

  • Citizenship with Social Science PGCE Secondary Pre-course reading list and tasks - to follow shortly.
  • English PGCE Secondary Pre-course reading list and tasks – to follow shortly.
  • Mathematics PGCE Secondary Pre-course reading list and tasks – to follow shortly.
  • Physical Education PGCE Secondary Pre-course reading list and tasks - to follow shortly.
  • Science (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) PGCE Secondary Pre-course reading list and tasks – to follow shortly.

Key staff

NameTitleEmail address
Amit Puni Citizenship Subject Leader amit.puni@sgul.kingston.ac.uk
Hazel Joannides English Subject Leader h.joannides@kingston.ac.uk
Su Kler Mathematics Subject Leader s.kler@kingston.ac.uk
Declan Hamblin PE Subject Leader d.hamblin@kingston.ac.uk
Simon Parry Science Subject Leader s.parry@sgul.kingston.ac.uk

Fees, funding and bursaries

Fees information

  • The UK (Home) tuition fee for the BA Primary course for academic year 2023-24 is £9,250.
  • The UK (Home) tuition fee for the PGCE is £9,250.
  • The EU/International tuition fee for academic year 2023/24 is £15,800.

If you are a UK student, you may be eligible for help with your tuition fees. Information is available on this government student finance website. Contact number of Student Finance England is 0300 100 0607.

You can also download an application form and guidance notes from the site.

Further information about student funding can be found on the Kingston University website or by contacting Student Funding on 020 8417 7312.

PGCE Secondary Bursaries and Scholarships

The Department for Education has confirmed that teaching bursaries will be paid monthly to PGCE trainee teachers according to their phase, chosen secondary subject and classification of their first degree or their highest postgraduate qualification. Confirmation of eligibility and the amount of the award will be provided following enrolment. You are not required to do anything until you receive this confirmation.

Here are the bursaries and scholarships available for 2023-24. Please note: not all subjects have bursaries or scholarships available.

Subject Bursary for trainees with
1st, 2:1, 2:2, PhD or masters
Scholarship for trainees with
1st, 2:1, 2:2, PhD or masters
Biology £20,000 Not available
Chemistry £27,000 £29,000
Mathematics £27,000 £29,000
Physics £27,000 £29,000
English £15,000  Not available
     

Trainees cannot receive both the bursary and scholarship.

Payment structure

You will receive 10 equal monthly instalments starting from the end of October 2023 through to July 2024.

  • £15,000: £1,500 each month
  • £20,000: £2,000 each month
  • £27,000: £2,700 each month

If you qualify for a bursary, we understand there is quite a significant gap (8 to 9 weeks) from when you start the course until you receive the first instalment. This is how government bursaries are paid and unfortunately there isn't anything we can do to speed up the process. We ask that you be mindful of this when organising your finances over that period.

For detailed information about eligibility and scholarships, please refer to the following websites:

DBS and Occupational Health information

Please visit the DBS and Occupational Health page to complete your DBS, Update Service and Occupational Health information.

FAQs: General information

When does my course start?

PGCE Primary, PGCE Secondary & School Direct Physical Education:

  • Monday 4 September 2023

BA Primary:

  • Monday 18 September 2023

Please see respective course page for details on your first week and enrolment.

 

When will I receive an unconditional offer in UCAS or DfE (PGCE applications)?

When you have uploaded evidence of the academic requirements stipulated in your offer to OSIS.

Please email education@kingston.ac.uk to notify us when you have uploaded your qualifications so we can verify them as quickly as possible. Once we are satisfied your qualifications meet our requirements, we will change your offer status to unconditional.

Please note your offer will remain conditional until you have received DBS and Occupational Health clearance. You will only be able to begin your school placement once clearances for both checks have been obtained.

When will I receive my course timetable?

You should receive the timetable for the first week shortly before you start the course. Your full first semester timetable will be made available to you following enrolment.

FAQs: PGCE bursary

Am I eligible for the PGCE Bursary?

The PGCE Bursary is only available for secondary students and is dependent on the subject you will be studying (NB: not all secondary subjects attract a bursary). You will need to be classified as a "home" fee-paying student to receive the bursary. Refer to the "Fees and funding" section on the PGCE Secondary page for more details.

I believe I am eligible for the PGCE bursary. What do I do?

There isn't anything you need to do at this stage. We will assess whether you meet the criteria for the bursary and if you do, will email you at the end of September 2023 with confirmation of your award and request your bank details.

How will the bursary award be paid?

If you qualify, you will receive the bursary in 10 equal monthly instalments (October 2023 to July 2024). The first instalment will be paid at the end of October.

FAQs: DBS and Occupational Health

Do I need a DBS if I already have one?

All students will need to undergo an enhanced DBS check in "Child Workforce" with Kingston University. The only exception is if you already have this in place and have subscribed to the Update Service. If this is the case, please complete the Update Service Form, giving us permission to check the current status of your DBS.

I have received an activation email from First Advantage Online Disclosures. What do I do with this?

You need to activate your account with First Advantage and then complete your DBS application. Once you have submitted your application you will need to take your identification documents (originals) and proof of address to the Post Office for verification.

I do not live in the UK and there is no Post Office ID verification service in my country. What do I do?

Don't worry. If you live abroad just organise a Certificate of Good Conduct for the time being from where you are living. However, do let us know when you arrive in the UK so we can give you guidance on what you need to do when applying for a DBS via First Advantage.

Why do I need to complete the Update Service Form?

You should only complete this if you have a valid subscription with the Update Service as we need your permission to verify your current DBS status. Please note you can only subscribe to this service within 19 days of your DBS certificate issue date.

Where do I find the Update Service Form?

You can find the Update Service Form here or on our DBS and Occupational Health page.

What is a Certificate of Good Conduct and why do I need to submit this?

A Certificate of Good Conduct is required if you have lived outside the UK for more than three months in the last five years. This is in addition to you having DBS clearance. It usually comes in form of a letter or certificate from an overseas authority confirming your character and that you did not hold a criminal record when you spent time in that country.

Click here for guidance on how to apply for a check.

I have received an activation email from Health Management Limited (HML). What is this?

This is the service we use to assess students' health and suitability for the course. You must activate your account and complete the questionnaire accurately so that if required, we can ensure reasonable adjustments are made for you while you are on course.

FAQs: School placements

Do I organise my main school block placement (e.g. Autumn term) or will the University do this for me?

The Placement Team at the University will organise all your school placements. It is important that you do not approach schools directly yourself. However, it would be helpful for us to know if you have past or present links with local schools. Please add these details to the School Experience Placement Form below for your respective course below.

How far will I be expected to travel to my placement school?

The University does not, and cannot, guarantee maximum journey times and distances to placement schools but does take into consideration trainees' circumstances and requirements.

Students can anticipate being placed in a school, in some cases, that is within a two-hour commute from the University as this is where our partnership schools are located.

When will I find out what school I have been placed in?

The Placement Team usually notifies students of their placement approximately two weeks before their placement start date.

I have a disability or domestic responsibility (i.e. caring responsibility). I will need to be placed in a local school. Is this possible?

Although there are no guarantees, we will do our best to place you in a school as close to your home as possible. We need to be made aware of your circumstances so it is important that you complete the School Experience Placement Form below for your respective course. Please complete the form fully and we will do our best to take your needs into consideration when placing you.

Support for students with disabilities or dyslexia

Who to contact for support

If you have a disability or dyslexia and require support while you are at University, you must contact the Disability and Mental Health Support Service.

The contact details are:
Kingston University - Disability and Mental Health Support
020 8417 7314
Email: disability@kingston.ac.uk

Full details of the support services and facilities are also available here.

You are also strongly encouraged to contact us in the Department of Education before you start the programme. We are committed to providing you support during your studies and if we are aware of your specific needs in advance, we can make provisions and have these in place for your course start.

Please email education@kingston.ac.uk with details of your specific requirements.

If you would like to speak with someone in confidence, please contact Nina Sohal, the Admissions Team Leader.

Useful contacts

University departmentContact numberEmail address
School of Education 020 3308 9932
Press Option 4, then 2
and 2 again to get 
through to Education
Admissions.
education@kingston.ac.uk
Main Switchboard 020 8417 9000  
Accommodation services 020 8417 7311 accommodation@kingston.ac.uk
Fees and funding (undergraduate) 020 8417 7312 studentfunding@kingston.ac.uk
Fees and funding (postgraduate) 020 8417 7312 studentfunding@kingston.ac.uk
Student life advisory 020 8417 7312  
Disability and mental health support 020 8417 7314 disability@kingston.ac.uk
Contact details for external organisationsContact number
Kingston Hill  
Student Finance England 0300 100 0607
First Advantage Online Disclosures 0115 969 4600

How to find us

Your course will be taught at the Kingston Hill campus, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT2 7LB.

View campus information, directions and public transport options on the Kingston Hill webpage.